"I never expected to run for Congress. It was not part of my game plan or anything like that. My decision came from years of frustration and disappointment and will, I guess. Finally one of the politicians I had helped to elect said to me, “Well, you always criticize. Why don’t you do it yourself?” I said, “You know, you’ve got a point there. I think I’ll do it." Bella Abzug -- Particular Passions: Talks with Women Who Shaped Our Times, by Lynn Gilbert.

"Since there were only a few women lawyers, I knew that it was going to be very rough. I applied to Harvard Law School because I heard it was the best law school. Harvard wrote back and said they didn’t accept women. I was outraged. I always tell this story because it’s so cute about my mother. I turned to my mother and I said, “Can you believe this?” I always say “I turned to my mother,” because in those days there was no women’s movement so you always turned to your mother. Now I always say, my two daughters have the best of both worlds. They’re able to turn to me and the women’s movement at the same time. But anyway, I turned to my mother and said, “This is an outrage.” (I always had a decent sense of outrage.) My mother said, “What do you want to go to Harvard for? It’s far away. You haven’t got the carfare anyhow. Go to Columbia. It’s near home. They’ll probably give you a scholarship and it only costs five cents on the subway.” And I did that. I got a scholarship and it only cost five cents on the subway. I always say that’s when I became an advocate of low-cost public mass transportation." Bella Abzug

The oral biography of Bella Abzug, an outspoken crusader for peace and human rights who heralded in an era of social change.

"I grew up during the Depression and my life was very much affected by it. No matter what the hardships, my parents believed deeply in America and in their lives and the lives of their children. As children we believed we had to influence our own lives, not only by making something of ourselves, but also by making sure that society would make for us and do for us as a result of our influencing and affecting it. So for all these reasons, I have been a socially conscious human being from the day I can remember." Bella Abzug

"What I try to do is make women feel that there isn’t anything they can’t do if they want to. And when I speak to them or meet with them, I try to give them that feeling, that this is their right. Whatever they want to do, they have a right to be and a right to expect support from institutions which affect their lives. I also try to awaken young people. This is their future. They’re going to be in charge in the year 2000. I tell them that they are the major force for change in this country and that they can change their own lives and the lives of others by acting on that together with other people. When I’ve finished, I like to think they believe it."

– Bella Abzug, from 'Particular Passions: Talks With Women Who Shaped Our Times', by Lynn Gilbert. For a limited time -- the oral biography of Bella Abzug, an outspoken crusader for peace and human rights who heralded in an era of social change, is available free of charge.

"I decided I was going to be a lawyer when I was eleven years old. I can’t tell you that I had a role model of a woman lawyer because I really didn’t. There were some, a few, but I didn’t really know who they were. I made up my mind that you could fight for social justice more effectively as a lawyer and so I became a lawyer. Since there were only a few women lawyers, I knew that it was going to be very rough. I applied to Harvard Law School because I heard it was the best law school. Harvard wrote back and said they didn’t accept women. I was outraged. I always tell this story because it’s so cute about my mother. I turned to my mother and I said, “Can you believe this?” I always say “I turned to my mother,” because in those days there was no women’s movement so you always turned to your mother. Now I always say, my two daughters have the best of both worlds. They’re able to turn to me and the women’s movement at the same time. But anyway, I turned to my mother and said, “This is an outrage.” (I always had a decent sense of outrage.) My mother said, “What do you want to go to Harvard for? It’s far away. You haven’t got the carfare anyhow. Go to Columbia. It’s near home. They’ll probably give you a scholarship and it only costs five cents on the subway.” And I did that. I got a scholarship and it only cost five cents on the subway. I always say that’s when I became an advocate of low-cost public mass transportation.”

"WHEN I FIRST RAN for Congress, people said to me, “How long have you been a feminist?” And I said, “I suppose from the day I was born.”

– Bella Abzug, from 'Particular Passions: Talks with Women Who Shaped Our Times', by Lynn Gilbert The oral biography of Bella Abzug, an outspoken crusader for peace and human rights who heralded in an era of social change.

Bella nicknamed "Battling Bella", was a lawyer, Congresswoman, social activist and a leader of the Women's Movement. – Wikipedia A powerful orator, Abzug mobilized women: “I always try to get my message across, but in different ways, with reason: with emotion and with humor.” — Bella Abzug in “Particular Passions: Talks with Women who Shaped our Times”

Like all great orators she honed her skill although not like Churchill who was known to practice with pebbles in his mouth.